Three Things to Watch for in Alabama Basketball’s NCAA Tournament Matchup with Saint Mary’s

CLEVELAND–– There are eight spots remaining in the Sweet 16, and one of those spots will be taken by either No. 2 Alabama or No. 7 Saint Mary’s when the two teams meet Sunday evening in Cleveland.

Alabama is trying to reach its third straight Sweet 16 while Saint Mary’s is looking to get there for the first time since 2010. Here are three things to watch for that might determine who gets there:

A lot has been made about the contrasting tempos of these two teams. Because of the slow pace the Gaels play at, it’s really challenging for a team to score a lot of points; however, the Crimson Tide has been the No. 1 scoring offense in college basketball this season at over 91 points per game.

Saint Mary’s has now allowed an opponent to score more than 80 points all season while Alabama has only fallen short of that marker four times and is 1-3 in games when scoring less than 80 points.

The number alone won’t determine who wins or loses this game, but if Alabama is able to reach that marker it will likely signify that the Crimson Tide was able to play more at the pace it wanted with a better chance of winning.

Alabama lost the rebounding battle in Round 1 to Robert Morris, a team that was much smaller physically and less athletic than the Crimson Tide. Robert Morris finished with 16 offensive rebounds.

Saint Mary’s has more size and is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, averaging almost 14 per game. Alabama can’t afford to let the Gaels steal extra possessions by grabbing offensive rebounds.

If Alabama isn’t able to crash the defensive glass well, it will also prevent the team from getting the ball out quickly and moving up the floor in transition to play at the tempo it would prefer. Rebounding will be crucial for Alabama’s success.

The Crimson Tide made just six 3-point shots against Robert Morris. Alabama has proven it can win without shooting well from beyond the arc, but it sure does help.

Alabama’s primary 3-point shooters–– Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood and Aden Holloway–– combined to go 3 of 15 in the opening round game. Head coach Nate Oats wants to see all of those guys get going.

With the pace Saint Mary’s wants to play at, Alabama can make things really difficult on the Gaels if it starts getting in rhythm from deep.